Tag: mindbodysoul

I’ve been thinking a lot lately on what it means to focus on “self-care”. Self-care seems to be the hot topic of 2017, but what exactly does self-care look like? Personally, self-care to me, is doing things that make ME smile. What sets your soul on fire? What gives you LIFE? What gets you out of bed in the morning? It can be as simple as finding bliss in just a few short minutes or it can be a more drastic, long-term change. At the end of the day, there’s a REASON why self-care has been a trending topic lately. We’ve realized that for too long, we’ve been putting ourselves (mind, body, and soul) last and sadly, it’s had repercussions. Though we may in theory be eating “well” and working out “regularly”. Those two make up just a portion of our overall well-being. If you’re constantly stressed out at work or your stuck in a downward-spiraling relationship or if you haven’t forgiven something from the past – these things have a tendency to weigh you down and unfortunately, all of the healthy food & workouts in the world won’t be able to mask these obstacles.

This is where self-care comes in. This is one of those occurrences in life where you CAN be selfish (although I hate using that word in this context). The point is, you’re allowed to do things for yourself and you absolutely should not be judged for it. Honestly, at the end of the day, you’re probably the one being the harshest critic on yourself. Unfortunately our society has created an extremely judgmental environment.

To go slightly off topic, in yoga, we learn about the 8 Limbs – 2 of which include yama (the restraints or ethical practices) and niyama (the observances or daily practices). Svadhyaya (self-study or non-judgement) falls under the niyama’s or becomes part of our “daily practice”. “The first tenant of yoga is to do no harm. Passing judgment is harmful because that energy of criticism lives in you. It affects you. When you judge someone it defines you not the other person” – Healthy Yoga Life. It’s human nature to judge when we don’t feel comfortable in our own skin. So at the end of the day, you need to ignore what society is telling you to do and rather listen to your OWN body. Do what makes you the HAPPIEST and LIVELIEST individual you can be!

Here are some of the simple self-care tips I do incorporate as much as possible:

My Morning Routine: Wake up no later than 7am. *Attempt to meditate for at least 5 minutes (I’m not going to sit here & tell you I do this everyday, but I really am trying to make an effort too). Write three things I’m grateful for every morning in my journal. Start with 2 mason jar size cups of warm water w/ lemon in the morning to help alkalize the body, stimulate the digestive system, and HYDRATE. Then turn on some morning music (whatever I’m in the mood for). Sometimes I’m feeling light jazz, sometimes I’m feeling indie coffee shop music, and sometimes I’m feeling those upbeat summer vibes. Light a candle or incense. Do some very quick and light stretching for 5 minutes (a few downward dogs, forward folds, and shoulder openers). Throw together my favorite matcha latte recipe! — I totally notice a difference on days when I start with this routine vs. those where I skip over it.

Going to a yoga class. This is a treat for me since most times, I practice yoga at home (mostly out of convenience, but also because I’ve grown to really enjoy free-flowing, playing my own music, practicing inversions, and wearing whatever the heck I want!) However, it’s really nice to go to a class every now & then to let go and for once, not be in control. Going to a yoga class is nice because you’re there to be guided on a journey. There’s no over-thinking involved. You just flow & go inside your own body.

Vacations. These are SO important to me. THIS is what gives me life. Makes me smile. Traveling. Seeing the world. Learning about other cultures. Stepping outside of my little bubble. When I think about my most vivid or memorable moments, they’re most often, 8/10 remembered on vacations or trips. I met my boyfriend abroad in Spain. I’ve witnessed the most amazing sunrises and sunsets over the water. I grew up traveling with my family & exploring places that were so exotic to me at the time. These are all of the memories I look back on my life. I always say that if I’m going to spend my money on anything it’s food and traveling. I could care less about buying a huge house or a nice car. As long as I can continue traveling for the rest of my life, I will be the happiest!

Skin Care Routine. For a while now, I’ve preached consuming real, wholesome foods that are good for your body. At the end of the day, your body runs off of energy. Like a car, you can choose to feed it with the highest quality or the lower alternative. If you had the choice, wouldn’t you want the premium energy for your body?? However, lately I’ve realized it’s not only important to watch what goes in your body, but also what goes ON your body. Up until recently, I was using lotions & face washes full of toxins. I’ve now noticed such a difference in my skin using all natural skin care options. It’s glowing, it’s fuller, it’s no longer acne-prone, and so forth. I consider my skin care routine SELF-CARE as well, so see below for a few things that keep my skin HAPPY and glowing!

Lastly, before showering, I use a dry brush to help remove dead/dry skin, as well to stimulate the blood and detoxify my body. After the shower, I moisturize using 100% organic oil. As for face masks, I’ll try and do them once or twice a week. I love the cocokind chlorophyll facemask or any charcoal mask! Lastly, I’ll apply the cocokind matcha stick throughout the day under my eyes to help illuminate more energy!

Honoring my body. I know this is a very vague tip, but at the end of the day, listening to your body is the biggest form of self-care. This is something I’m still working on everyday. For years, I pushed my body through so much – working out for hours, running two-a-days all summer long, not properly fueling it with enough nutrient-filled food, or doing the opposite and over-indulging on fatty, sugary food all day to subside the negative emotions I may have been feeling. At the end of the day, what I realized was that none of the above was helping in any way. My body is a temple. I need to honor it and nourish it, not beat it up and destroy it. If that means taking days off to let it heal, than I NEED to do that. If it means practicing more yoga than running, that I NEED to listen to my body.

Music. I slightly touched on this above under my morning routine, but I never realized how important music was to me until recently. Going to festivals & shows, dancing with no care or judgment in the world. Flowing on my yoga mat to my own playlists that help to create an experience. Blasting classic rock as I’m driving down the highway with my windows down on a warm summer day. Playing upbeat music by the beach as I soak up the sun. Running to music that gives me drive and determination. So much of my day revolves around music. I recently read a quote relating music to yoga, which I feel is fitting…

“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind and the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life.” – BKS Iyengar

Anyway, as I mentioned above, self-care comes down to doing things that make you happy. So what makes me happy, might not necessarily do the same for you. The above is just to give you an idea on what my self-care routine looks like as of lately! If anything, I hope that it’s inspired you to go off and find things that make you smile. Remember, it’s MORE than OK to put yourself first.